We knew this day was coming: with Windows Phone 8 just around the corner, we’re finally getting official confirmation from manufacturers about their launch handsets. The first to go on the record is Samsung, revealing the ATIV S at the IFA in Berlin.

WP8 is finally bringing the platform into the present day with support for multi-core processors. As such, Samsung’s hooked the ATIV S up with a 1.5GHz dual-core chip. Pair that with a gig of RAM, a nice big 4.8-inch HD Super AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass 2, and an eight megapixel main camera with 1.9-megapixel front-facer, and you’ve got what sounds like it’s adding up to a pretty solid piece of hardware.

The new Windows logo adorns a physical button, while the others stay capacitive. Look for 16GB and 32GB versions of the handset, and both will support further microSD expansion (again, thanks to WP8’s improvements). To help power all this, Samsung’s including a beefy 2300mAh battery. You should also find NFC on-board, and for wireless connectivity, there’s support for HSPA+42.

All together, this sounds like a great start to the WP8 lineup, and we’re hugely excited to see what’s next.